12 February 2022
During an inspection looking at part of the service
We found the following examples of good practice.
People told us they happy and felt safe living at Portelet House Care Home. A relative told us, “The staff are angels and they will do whatever we need, always over and above.” The manager and staff at the home had worked hard to keep people safe. Policies and procedures within the home were robust and frequent monitoring meant that the home worked safely and within good practice and government guidelines. Staff appreciation was important to the manager and they told us they worked hard to ensure staff knew how important they were.
Safe practices were in place for welcoming visitors to the home. These included rapid COVID-19 testing, temperature checks. personal protective equipment (PPE) and hand hygiene. Vaccination status was checked for all visiting professionals. Records of mandatory staff vaccinations were maintained. Staff testing for COVID-19 was at the frequency in line with government guidance. All necessary consent was in place which included capacity assessments and specific risk assessments where appropriate.
Supplies of PPE were in good supply, stock checks maintained, and we observed staff wearing this correctly. Staff had training in infection prevention and control and were shown how to put on and take off PPE correctly. The home was a good standard of cleanliness and there was an ongoing programme of refurbishment and redecoration in place. Contingency plans in place meant that the home could operate under pressures such as an outbreak or staff shortages. Domestic staff worked to keep all areas of the home clean and tidy including deep cleaning.
People were supported to maintain vital contact with their loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic. Visiting restrictions changed and the home adapted its policies, practices and communicated to people and their relatives verbally and by telephone. Risk assessments were completed for all aspects of care and support including additional risks related to COVID-19. The manager told us they had a good working relationship with external health and medical practitioners, this included regular checks of the health needs for people living at Portelet House Care Home.